Socket-carrier fob electric fixtures



H. V. WILLMAN.

Patented July 8, 1919.

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SOCKET CARRHER FUR ELECTRIC FIXTURES.

APPucATmH HLED 11m11.191s. 1,309,051.

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`umn-juninmiuumlil I A 1 f THE CoLUMaIA PLANoGRAPH C04, WASHINGTON. D. c.

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HERMAN V. WILLMAN, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

SOCKET-CARRIER FOR ELECTRIC FIXTURES.

T 0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HERMAN V. WILLMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Socket-Carriers for Electric Fixtures; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to means for sup porting the sockets of lighting fixtures, its general objects being to provide a socketsupport which can readily be adjusted in position with respect to a fixture, and which also can readily be removed entirely from the fixture when desired. More particularly, my invention aims to provide simple and eficctive means for shifting the position of a lamp-socket with respect to other parts of a ylighting fixture, so that the saine lightdistributing portion of the fixture may be used effectively with different sizes of lamps, or so that the same holder may be used effectively with different sizes or types of lightdistributin members, and preferably to provide adjusting means for this purpose which may be speedily manipulated without the use of tools and without dismantling the fixture. Furthermore, my invention aims to provide a socket-support which may readily be shifted in position by manipulating parts accessible from the outside of the fixture, which will readily indicate the relative osition of the socket on the exterior of Xture, which will not interfere with the speedy wiring of the socket, and which will rigidl hold the socket in anyone of a number o predetermined positions. Still other objects will be apparent from the following specifications and from the accompanying drawings, in which drawings- Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a li hting fixture, with parts of the casing and o1E the refiector or globe cut away.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the casing of the fixture of a portion of the socket-support of my invention. Q

Fig. 3Vis an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the socketcarrier of my invention as it would appear when removed from the case ofthe fixture. Y y

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken throu h the casing of a fixture and immediate y above a holder showing another ein,

bocliuiallt .0f my invention.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led May 11, 1918.

Patented July 8, 1919.

Serial No. 233,884.

In the embodiment of the drawings, my invention is shown as used in connection with a lighting fixture having a substantially cylindrical chimney l surmounted and supported by a cap 2 and substantially continued at its lower end by a spinning 3 which forms the holder for a light distributing member i. The light-distributing member 4: in this instance is secured to the holder 3 by screws 5 and may be any desirable form of rcfiector, rcfractor or globe. The cylindrical portion 1 of the casing is equipped on diametrically opposite sides with longitudinal slots 6, which slots have a plurality of enlargements successively spaced from one another by about the same distances as the increase in the effective length of lamps of successively larger sizes; that is to say, the distances between the enlargements and the slots 6 correspond to the difference in distanebetween the base end of a minimum size lamp 4and the center of the light-giving portion of the lamp and the corresponding distances on lamps of hi her candle power. Thus, Fig. 2 shows the s ot arrangement as provided for enabling the socket and socketcarrier coperating therewith to hold either a 100, or a Q00, or a 300 candle power lamp in effective relation to the light-distributin portion of the fixture. To coperate witi the slots thus described, I employ a socketsupport having resilient portions continu ally pressed toward the slotted sides of the casing and carrying elements adapted respectively to be interlocked with a pair of o positely disposed enlargements in two s ots. For example, Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show a socket carrier comprisin afork of resilient metal having arms 7 oubled back upon themselves and` carrying at its center a threaded bushing 8 adapted to be screwed into thebushing of the socket casing. The arms 7 are so spaced from eachother that their resiliency will tend to spread the free ends of these arms for a greater distance than' ,the diameter of the casing 1, thereby normally pressing the tips of these arms against oppositely directed portions of the interior of the casing. Mounted on each of the arms near its free end is an interlocking element having close to the arm a base portion of a size wider than the main portion of one of the slots 6, and adapted to enter one of the enlargements in the said slot. This interlocking element also has a tip portion 9,' .desrably in the form of a knob, which tip portion is spared from the base portion 10` by a rontrartml neck ll narrower than the width ol the main pontion of'l thel slot 6. Thus, this interlocking elei'nent ma consist ol a nn-tnl turning shapedtas in 'Filip 3V andt threaded into a perforation in the arm 7, thereby alsopcrmittingtthis metal turning to be nnsrrewed and detached from the for i when desired, by inal'iipnllll'ing the Same l'roxn outside the easing.

ln operation, the resiliency and:the shape of theiarin portions of the fork normally hold the bases l0 of theftwo interlocking members seated in oppositely disposed enlargements in the two slots. For example, the full lines of Fig. 1 show these interlocking elements as engaged with the metal enlargements of the slots, or with thosecorrespondingy to a proper supporting of the socket for use with a 200 candle power lamp. llpon pressing the two knobs 9 toward each other snilicicntly lo brin the contracted necks ll opposite the walls of the slots,` the entire socket-carrier can be slid in either` direction, thus permitting it to he intcrlockcd with the upper` pairs of slot enlargements (or those suitable for use with a 300 candle power lamp) or with the lowest pair ofslot enlargements which correspond to the 100 candle` power side of lampi Byy exposing the knobs 9 so that they may be manipulated fom the exterior of the fixture casing, Irenable such neededA adjustments to be made instantly and without the use of toolst Moreover, this same exposing( of the knobs enables the observer to note the position of the socket carrier instantly and without dismantling `any part of the fixture or even detnohingi the reflector or globe. At thesame time, by suitably shaping; the doubled-,back portions of the resilient arms, I' canse these to hear against the inner` surface of the cas ing, L for a considerable distance, thereby preventing any tiltingot'` the socketfcarrier with respect to the axis of the'fixture and also preventinganylooeeness ofthepawrts as sociated in` this way. owevel, whilel have illustrated and described" my invention as employed in connection with a certain type of fixture and with lamps of threes different sizes, I do not wish` to be limited izo-these or other details ofthe construction and arrangement here diselsed, it beingob'vious that the same might be rnodfediinV many ways without dlparting from the spliritof) my invention. or example, Llishows the `secket-carrier of my inventmn as comprising a bushliigy 12 having a `pair of resilient arms 13 secured'toioppose sides of,

this bushings() that these arms extend in si-xbstantialljlfEl the same general plane transversely of* e, casih 4 with the, iiiterlocking elements carriedliyi t em, .instead of'having the `arms extendlongitudinallyioffthefcasin In. eithergcase, it will' be obvious tllabfby,

simply unscrewing the metal posts which normally interlock with enlargements ol' the aleta-i,` the socket'oaruier will bo lult only frictionally engaged with the bore of the easing; so tfllatthis carrier may then be inannaliy Withdrawn after removing the lightd-istfributing member Ll.

Likewise, it will he obvious that the number of enlargements in each slot may be increased as desired, and that the spacing may he altered also, thereby adapting inyi invention not only for use with lamps of different sizes but also with different types or sizes of reflectors or other light-distnibute1s.

IJ claim as my invention:

l. lighting Xture for affordingj` a substantially predetermined light distribinion from lamps of var/ying etfcctive lengths, comprising a casing equipped on one side with a slot havingl a plurality of seat forma 85 tions spaced longitudinally of the casing by distances corresponding to the successive di l Yfereinfes in length ol the several sizes of lamps; a reflector fast, with respect to the using and shaped for affording the desired light distribution; and a socket carrier housed `by the casing and movable longitudinally ofthe lattergthe said carrier including looking means projecting through thesaidfslot and normally engagingv one of the saidV seat formations, and a resilient clement carrying the looking means and normally holding the latter in tssaid engaging position-p; the projectingof the locking means pormittingfthe latter to be manipulated from theexterior of the casing to` disengage the looking means from a seat formation and to move the said carrier from one to another of" the scat formations so as to adjustl the positionof the carrier to any one of the predetermined' positions visibly delined by the location of the said seat `formations as corres londing; respeotively to the several sizes o lamps 2, Ina lighting xture, acasingequipped withfa plurality of seat formations spaced longitudinally of the casing,` and a socketoarnier housed' by thecasing y and l including a svuipgporting element adapted intemhange- A aib-ly to en a e the saidseat formations ini the bore o? t e casing, and havingan eX-` ten-ded longitudinal portion to engage theV side ofthe casing to prevent lateral swing-V ing ofthe carrier with respect to the casing, and resilient means for simultaneously foreing;hoth thersaidelementand the said other portion of the carrier into their-,aforesaid positions,

t` Iii a lighting fixture, a lcasing,enuppedt on one side with a slotA having a plurality of.:A seat formations spaced longitudinallyyofltha easing; anda socket-carrier housed bythe casing; and slidalile longitudinally of1 the. latterpthe said carrierincluding;A a locking` element projecting" through. the saidv slot 130 element from one to the other of the said seat formations.

4. In a lighting fixture, a casing equipped on each of a plurality of sides with slots each including a series of seat formations spaced longitudinally of the casing, and a socket-carrier disposed Within the casing and including a plurality of resilient arms each normally pressed by its own resiliency against the bore of the casing and each having an element disposed in one of the lsaid seat formations, the last named elements being manually accessible from the outside of the casing for moving the socket-carrier from one to another of the positions defined by the said seat formations.

5. In a lighting fixture, a easing equipped on two sides With a plurality of seat formations spaced longitudinally of the casing, and a socket-carrier including a pair of resilient arms each bent back upon itself and presenting an end portion normally forced by the resiliency of the arm into engagement with the bore of the casing for a considerable portion of its length, the socketcarrier also including a locking element carried by the end of each resilient arm and normally engaging one of the said seat formations.

6. In a lighting fixture, a casing equipped on opposite sides with substantially longitudinal slots each h( ving enlargements therein spaced longitudinally of the casing, and a socket-carrier disposed Within the casing and including a pair of posts respectively projecting into slot enlargements at opposite sides of the casing and resilient arms carrying the said posts and normally holding the latter seated in the said enlargements.

7. In a lighting fixture, a casing equipped on opposite sides With substantially longitudinal slots each havin enlargements therein s aced longitudinal y of the casing, and a soc et-earrier disposed within the easing and including a pair of posts respectively projecting into slot enlargements at opposite sides of the casing and resilient arms carrying the said posts and normally holding the latter seated in the said enlargements, each of the said posts having a relatively contracted portion normally disposed outside the casing and of a diameter less than the Width of the main portion of the adjacent slot.

8. In a lighting fixture, a casing equipped on its opposite sides With a plurality of seat formations spaced longitudinally of the casing, and a socket-carrier including a single strip `of resilient metal bent into a U shape and having the shank of each U bent back upon itself, and also including a pair of locking elements mounted respectively on the doubled back portions of the said strip and respectively engaging seat formations on opposite sides of the casing.

Signed at Chicago, May 6th, 1918.

HERMAN V. WILLMAN.

Witnesses:

C. G. EvERsoN, C. A. WHETrLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

